At the regional level, Ampatuan has mandated that each Cabinet meeting begin with a report on remittances by each department head.

Guiani-Sayadi says this is the kind of attitude the region needs. She says local officials have to scrutinize decades-old records to be able to separate chaff from the grain.

She also recommends a healthy dose of transparency. She says the forgery should be reported and openly discussed, so that the records can be corrected and can start reflecting fact instead of fiction.

The ARMM solicitor general says as well that town officials and community leaders should activate their local school boards and involve themselves in the work of DepEd supervisors in their area.

“This (problem) is hard to solve,” says Guiani-Sayadi. “You need committed people, who care for the community. And that’s paramount over anything else.”

Putting the community first will undoubtedly help ease the region’s problems. After all, genuine concern for one’s community, unlike paperwork, cannot be faked even by golden hands.